A wearable sensor technology developed for swallowing disorders

A pair of researchers from the Purdue University (PU) in West Lafayette, Indiana have launched a company called Curasis LLC for the commercialisation of their brand-new, disposable, wearable sensor technology designed to make treatments more affordable and convenient for people who suffer with swallowing disorders. The state-of-the-art technology, which attaches to the neck, wirelessly distributes information on muscle movement and swallowing activity to a software that stores it for doctors to analyse via a separate unit attached to the patient’s shirt.

The pair are currently conducting clinical trials, whilst also attempting to patent their wearable through working with the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialisation

PU’s College of Health and Human Sciences Associate’s professor of language, speech and hearing sciences and acting CEO of Curasis LLC, Georgia A Malandraki, stated: “We want to provide a reliable, patient friendly and affordable way to treat the millions of people with swallowing disorders. Many devices to help these people are expensive, not able to be taken home and not accessible in many rural areas.”

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering in Purdue’s College of Engineering and Curasis LLC’s CTO, Chi Hwan Lee, stated: “Our device is unique in that we specifically created it to work well with the small and intricate muscles associated with swallowing events. The sensor sticker is stretchable and flexible to work well with the skin and curvilinear head and neck shape, while the connected unit has electronic chips and more rigid components.”